Cambridge Business Association
Blue-Collar Worker Shortages
Report

Blue-Collar Worker Shortages

Navigating a Business Environment of Higher Labor Costs

Gad Levanon and Frank Steemers
The Conference Board, 2018
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Analytical
  • Overview
  • For Experts

Recommendation

With more and more Americans striving for a college degree, fewer people are competing for traditional blue-collar and low-wage service jobs. Conference Board economists Gad Levanon and Frank Steemers offer an insightful perspective on how this trend is likely to accelerate, as US economic growth continues and employers have to contend with labor shortages for these less prestigious jobs. This illuminating, focused and amply illustrated piece is likely to interest policy experts, economists and human resources professionals.

Summary

The US labor market has notably improved since the Great Recession, with unemployment down to 3.7% in 2018 from a peak of 10% in 2009. Expectations for 2019 include further labor demand, especially for blue-collar and low-wage service workers in fields such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing, transportation and food services, among others. As more Americans get college degrees, there are fewer takers for blue-collar jobs. The overall growth in the workforce has decelerated as baby boomers age. However, while the number of college-educated workers continues to grow at about...

About the Authors

Gad Levanon is the chief economist for North America at the Conference Board, where Frank Steemers is an associate economist.

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